Waveform switching for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC)

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a first communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses

Description

DESCRIPTIONWAVEFORM SWITCHING FOR INTEGRATED SENSING AND COMMUNICATION (ISAC)TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communication apparatuses and communication methods, and more particularly, communication apparatuses and communication methods for waveform switching for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC).BACKGROUND

[0002] Current 5G-Advanced network design primarily focuses on data transmission for communication purpose only. Presently, while current networks support positioning capabilities, they lack the ability to detect objects that are not connected to the networks. Integration of sensing capabilities into the 5G-Advanced network design would enable networks to offer sensing as a service alongside communications. Therefore, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 19 (Rel. 19) includes a study item on integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), as outlined in study item description (SID) RP- 233993. This study investigates channel modelling and deployment scenarios to support object detection and / or tracking for various sensing targets and sensing modes.

[0003] Up until Rel. 19, new radio (NR) networks support only two waveforms designed primarily for communication purposes. Additionally, the signalling of an uplink (UL) waveform may be configured semi-statically by radio resource control (RRC), as in Rel. 15, 16, and 17, or indicated dynamically by dynamic waveform switching (DWS) in Rel. 18. However, these two NR waveforms provide limited sensing performance, especially in high-mobility use case, due to high inter-carrier interference that degrades their performance. To improve the sensing performance of ISAC, it may be necessary for RAN1 to ( / ) enhance existing NR waveforms and / or (ii) design new waveforms optimised for sensing purposes. This could result in the use of more than two waveforms in ISAC networks. Additionally, using RRC to semi-statically configure a waveform may not effectively support ISAC in high-mobility use case due to high signalling latency.

[0004] Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a novel communication apparatus and communication method for waveform switching for ISAC that can address the above issues.

[0005] Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.SUMMARY

[0006] Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments facilitate providing communication apparatuses and communication methods for waveform switching for ISAC.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a first communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) and switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0009] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a second communication apparatus comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); circuitry, which in operation, switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a communication method implemented by a first communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and transmitting information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a communication method implemented by a communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC);switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, the present disclosure provides a communication method implemented by a second communication apparatus comprising: receiving information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0013] Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and drawings. The benefits and / or advantages may be individually obtained by the various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, which need not all be provided in order to obtain one or more of such benefits and / or advantages.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages in accordance with present embodiments.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for a 3GPP new radio (NR) system to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0016] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary sensing modes of ISAC.

[0017] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a communication apparatus according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 5 shows a flow chart illustrating another communication method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6 shows a flow chart illustrating yet another communication method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 7A shows a flow chart illustrating a process implemented by a gNB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7B shows a flow chart illustrating a process implemented by another gNB and / or a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary format of the plurality in bits in downlink control information (DCI).

[0024] Figure 9A shows a flow chart illustrating a process implemented by a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 9B shows a flow chart illustrating a process implemented by another UE and / or a gNB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence for indicating a target waveform.

[0027] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary patterns used to puncture different resources to indicate different waveforms.

[0028] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary functional split options in 5G open-radio access network (O-RAN) to which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0029] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been depicted to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the illustrations, block diagrams or flowcharts may be exaggerated in respect to other elements to help an accurate understanding of the present embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings. Like reference numerals and characters in the drawings refer to like elements or equivalents.

[0031] 3GPP has been working at the next release for the 5th generation cellular technology, simply called 5G, including the development of a new radio access technology (NR) operating in frequencies ranging up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed at the end of 2017, which allows proceeding to 5G NR standard-compliant trials and commercial deployments of smartphones.

[0032] The second version of the 5G standard was completed in June 2020, which further expand the reach of 5G to new services, spectrum and deployment such as unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), non-public network (NPN), time sensitive networking (TSN) and cellular- V2X.5G NR system architecture and protocol stacks

[0033] 5G NR system architecture assumes an NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) that comprises gNBs (next generation Node B, which is the base station in NG- RAN), providing the NG-radio access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocol terminations towards the UE (user equipment). The gNBs are interconnected with each other by means of the Xn interface. The gNBs are also connected by means of the Next Generation (NG) interface to the NGC (Next Generation Core), more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a particular core entity performing the AMF) by means of the NG-C interface and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a particular core entity performing the UPF) by means of the NG-U interface. The NG-RAN architecture is illustrated in Figure 1 (see e.g., 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0, section 4).

[0034] The user plane protocol stack for NR (see e.g., 3GPP TS 38.300, section 4.4.1) comprises the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see section 6.4 of 3GPP TS38.300), RLC (Radio Link Control, see section 6.3 of 3GPP TS 38.300) and MAC (Medium Access Control, see section 6.2 of 3GPP TS 38.300) sublayers, which are terminated in the gNB on the network side. Additionally, a new access stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP, Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced above PDCP (see e.g., sub-clause 6.5 of 3GPP TS38.300). A control plane protocol stack is also defined for NR (see for instance 3GPP TS 38.300, section 4.4.2). An overview of the Layer 2 functions is given in sub-clause 6 of 3GPPTS 38.300. The functions of the PDCP, RLC and MAC sublayers are listed respectively in sections 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of 3GPP TS 38.300. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in sub-clause 7 of 3GPP TS 38.300.

[0035] For instance, the Medium-Access-Control layer handles logical-channel multiplexing, and scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including handling of different numerologies.

[0036] The physical layer (PHY) is for example responsible for coding, PHY hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping of the signal to the appropriate physical time-frequency resources. It also handles mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to the set of time-frequency resources used for transmission of a particular transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For instance, the physical channels are PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) for uplink, PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) for downlink, PRDCH (Physical Reader-to- Device Channel) and PDRCH (Physical Device-to-Reader Channel) for A-loT, and PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel), PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel) and Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) for sidelink (SL).

[0037] For cross division duplex (XDD) operation, the frequency domain (or frequency resource or frequency bandwidth) is divided into a plurality of frequency domains (also referred to as, for example, sub-bands, RB sets, sub-bandwidths, or sub-BWPs (Bandwidth parts)). The terminal performs transmission and reception in a direction (for example, a downlink or uplink direction) in units of sub-bands that are the divided domains. For subband nonoverlapping full duplex (SBFD) symbols, the terminal may perform transmission / reception in one direction of uplink and downlink directions, and may not perform transmission / reception in the other direction. The base station, on the other hand, may be capable of performing both uplink and downlink transmissions / receptions simultaneously. SBFD symbols may have a fewer frequency domain usable for downlink compared to symbols for which only downlink transmission / reception is performed. Further, SBFD symbols may have a fewer frequency domain usable for uplink compared to symbol for which only uplink transmission / reception is performed.

[0038] Further, for SBFD symbols, the terminal may perform uplink and downlink transmissions / receptions simultaneously. At this time, the frequency domain transmitted by the terminal and the frequency domain received by the terminal may not be adjacent and a frequency interval (also referred to as a frequency gap) may be provided therebetween.

[0039] Further, sidelink transmission / reception may also be included as a transmission / reception direction in units of sub-bands which are the divided domains.

[0040] Use cases / deployment scenarios for NR could include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), massive machine type communication (mMTC), which have diverse requirements in terms of data rates, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps for downlink and 10Gbps for uplink) and user-experienced data rates in the order of three times what is offered by IMT-Advanced. On the other hand, in case of URLLC, the tighter requirements are put on ultra-low latency (0.5 ms for UL and DL each for user plane latency) and high reliability (e.g., 99.999%). Finally, mMTC may preferably require high connection density (e g., 1,000,000 devices / km2in an urban environment), large coverage in harsh environments, and extremely long-life battery for low-cost devices (e.g., 15 years).

[0041] Therefore, the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) numerology (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) that is suitable for one use case might not work well for another. For example, low-latency services may preferably require a shorter symbol duration (and thus larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also known as transmission time interval (TTI)) than an mMTC service. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spreads may preferably require a longer CP duration than scenarios with short delay spreads. The subcarrier spacing should be optimised accordingly to retain the similar CP overhead. NR may support more than one value of subcarrier spacing. Correspondingly, subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz .... etc. are being considered at the moment. The symbol duration Tu and the subcarrier spacing Af are directly related through the formula Af = / Tu. In a similar manner as in LTE systems, the term "resource element" can be used to denote a minimum resource unit being composed of one subcarrier for the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0042] In the new radio system 5G-NR for each numerology and carrier a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined respectively for uplink and downlink. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on the frequency indexin the frequency domain and the symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 V16.3.0).

[0043] 3GPP Rel. 19 introduced a study item on ISAC (RP-233993) with the aim of defining channel modelling aspects to support object detection and / or tracking. This study focuses on five sensing targets: (a) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), (b) human indoors and outdoors, (c) automotive vehicles (at least outdoors), (d) automated guided vehicle (e.g., in indoor factories), and (e) objects creating hazards on roads or railways, with a minimum size dependent on frequency. Additionally, six sensing modes are considered, as shown in Figure 2: ( / ) transmission reception point (TRP) monostatic sensing 202, (Ji) TRP-TRP bistatic sensing 204, ( / ' / / ) TRP-UE bistatic sensing 206, ( / V) UE monostatic sensing 208, (v) UE-TRP bistatic sensing 210, (w) UE-UE bistatic sensing 212.

[0044] As mentioned above, future ISAC networks may require more than two waveforms, since the two NR waveforms currently in use, cyclic prefix orthogonal-frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) and discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM), were primarily designed for communication rather than sensing. However, there is currently no established mechanism or procedure to facilitate switching to a target waveform (e.g., a waveform optimised for sensing) from more than two waveforms to support ISAC, especially in high-mobility use cases.

[0045] There is thus a need to address one or more of the above challenges and develop new communication apparatuses and communication methods to support ISAC.

[0046] In the present disclosure, certain exemplifying embodiments are explained with reference to communication apparatuses such as base stations and user equipment (UE) for ISAC. The term "base station" may be used interchangeably with the terms "gNB", "gNB-CU", "gNB-DU", "transceiver", "NW", or "TRP", while the term "UE" may be used interchangeably with the term "transceiver".

[0047] In various embodiments, the term "target waveform" may refer to a waveform that supports ISAC and is optimised for sensing. One example of such waveform is orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS), which may provide improved performance in high-mobility use case (i.e., high-Doppler channels), compared to the two current NR waveforms (i.e., CP- OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM). OTFS allows data transmission in the delay-Doppler domain, where moving scatterers are represented by their delay (e.g., transmission delay) and speed (e.g., Doppler shift) relative to the receiver. This approach is effective in high-Dopplerchannels, where rapid changes in channel characteristics result in low channel coherence times, which are inversely proportional to channel coefficient variability. It should be appreciated that the aforementioned waveform is merely exemplary, and the target waveform is not limited to OTFS.

[0048] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a communication apparatus 300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication apparatus may be implemented as a base station or a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication apparatus 300 may include circuitry 314, at least one radio transmitter 302, at least one radio receiver 304, and at least one antenna 312 (for the sake of simplicity, only one antenna is depicted in Figure 3 for illustration purposes). The circuitry 314 may include at least one controller 306 for use in software and / or hardware aided execution of tasks that the at least one controller 306 is designed to perform, including control of communications with one or more other communication apparatuses in a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) wireless network. The circuitry 314 may further include at least one transmission signal generator 308 and at least one receive signal processor 310. The at least one controller 306 may control the at least one transmission signal generator 308 for generating signals (e.g., an uplink signal, a downlink signal, or a sidelink signal) to be sent through the at least one radio transmitter 302 to one or more other communication apparatuses and the at least one receive signal processor 310 for processing signals (e g., an uplink signal, a downlink signal, or a sidelink signal) received through the at least one radio receiver 304 from the one or more other communication apparatuses under the control of the at least one controller 306. The at least one transmission signal generator 308 and the at least one receive signal processor 310 may be stand-alone modules of the communication apparatus 300 that communicate with the at least one controller 306 for the above-mentioned functions, as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, the at least one transmission signal generator 308 and the at least one receive signal processor 310 may be included in the at least one controller 306. In various embodiments, when in operation, the at least one radio transmitter 302, at least one radio receiver 304, and at least one antenna 312 may be controlled by the at least one controller 306.

[0049] The at least one radio transmitter 302 and the at least one radio receiver 304 may be included in a stand-alone module of the communication apparatus 300 to perform functions of both sending and receiving signals to and from another communication apparatus respectively. Such module may be referred to as a transceiver 302, 304 in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] It is appreciable to those skilled in the art that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and may vary depending on the practical needs and / or requirements. The data processing, storage and other relevant control apparatus can be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or in chipsets.

[0051] The communication apparatus 300, when in operation, provides functions required for ISAC. In one example, the communication apparatus 300 may be a base station or a UE (e g., a first communication apparatus). Figure 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the exemplified method 400 in Figure 4, the communication apparatus 300, when in operation, is configured to perform the following steps:• Step 402: the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may determine a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform ISAC; and• Step 404: the transmitter 302 may transmit information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

[0052] Additionally or alternatively, the information may comprise a plurality of bits indicating the target waveform. The number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more base stations may be greater than or equal to the number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more user equipment. The plurality of bits may comprise an information field for indicating dynamic waveform switching (DWS), and the information field for indicating DWS may be 1 bit. The information may be indicated by one or a combination of control information, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), radio resource control (RRC), and higher layer parameter.

[0053] Additionally or alternatively, the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may determine another target waveform for the one or more second communication apparatuses to perform ISAC. The target waveform may be for sensing one or more objects and the another target waveform may be for communicating with another communication apparatus. The plurality of bits may further indicate the another target waveform. The target waveform and the another target waveform may be used in different directions or in different radio resources.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, the information may comprise one or more information fields, and a most significant bit (MSB) or a least significant bit (LSB) in the one or more information fields may indicate the target waveform.

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the information may be indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a demodulation reference signal (DM RS) sequence or pattern of a control channel and / or a data channel. The DM RS sequence or pattern may be predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses. The one or more second communication apparatuses may determine the target waveform based on the DMRS sequence or pattern of the control channel or the data channel.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, the transmitter 302 may transmit the information to the one or more second communication apparatuses by switching to each waveform from a list of waveforms in a cyclic manner or a sequential manner until the first communication apparatus receives a response from the one or more second communication apparatuses. The list of waveforms may be predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, the information may be indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a specific resource of a control channel and / or a data channel punctured according to a pattern. The pattern may be predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses. The one or more second communication apparatuses may determine the target waveform based on the specific resource. Different patterns may indicate different waveforms.

[0058] Additionally or alternatively, the receiver 304 may receive a request from the one or more second communication apparatuses to switch to the target waveform; and the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may determine the target waveform in response to receiving the request.

[0059] Additionally or alternatively, the first communication apparatus may be a base station or a user equipment, and the one or more second communication apparatuses may comprise one or more base stations or one or more user equipment.

[0060] In another example, the communication apparatus 300 may be a base station or a UE (e.g., a communication apparatus). Figure 5 shows another exemplary flow chart illustrating a method 500 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in theexemplified method 500 in Figure 5, the communication apparatus 300, when in operation, is configured to perform the following steps:• Step 502: the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may determine a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform ISAC;• Step 504: the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may switch to the target waveform; and• Step 506: the at least one radio transmitter 302 may transmit a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0061] In yet another example, the communication apparatus 300 may be a base station or a UE (e.g., a second communication apparatus). Figure 6 shows another exemplary flow chart illustrating a method 600 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the exemplified method 600 in Figure 6, the communication apparatus 300, when in operation, is configured to perform the following steps:• Step 602: the at least one radio receiver 304 may receive information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform ISAC;• Step 604: the circuitry 314 (or the at least one controller 306 of the circuitry 314) may switch to the target waveform; and• Step 606: the at least one radio transmitter 302 may transmit a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0062] According to the present disclosure, a gNB and / or UE may switch to a target waveform to enable the ISAC procedure in one of the six sensing modes shown in Figure 2. This waveform switching may be triggered by either the gNB or the UE. In legacy systems (i.e., up to 3GPP Rel. 18), signalling of indications was one-directional from the gNB to the UE for communication purposes. In contrast, the present disclosure enables signalling of indications in either direction, i.e., (i) from a gNB (e.g., a first gNB) to another gNB (e.g., a second gNB) or a UE, or (ii) from a UE (e g., a first UE) to another UE (e.g., a second UE) or a gNB, for both communication and sensing purposes.

[0063] In embodiments where waveform switching may be triggered by a gNB, a first communication apparatus (e.g., a first gNB) may determine a target waveform (e.g., a waveform that supports ISAC) for one or more second communication apparatuses (e.g., a second gNB or a UE) to perform ISAC. The first communication apparatus may then transmit information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communicationapparatuses. Correspondingly, a second communication apparatus may receive the information related to the target waveform, switch to the target waveform, and then transmit a signal in the target waveform for sensing an object.

[0064] For example, a first gNB may determine a target waveform for ISAC and indicate it to a second gNB and / or a UE in the current waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM). The second gNB and / or the UE may then switch to the target waveform based on one or a combination of the following options:(1) A plurality of bits (e.g., N bits, where N > 1) in downlink control information (DCI) may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.(2) A predefined rule may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7A, a gNB (e.g., a first gNB) may first determine a target waveform for ISAC in step 702. Then, in step 704, the gNB may indicate the target waveform to another gNB (e.g., a second gNB) and / or a UE in a current waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM or CP- OFDM) based on one or a combination of the options above.

[0066] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 7B, the another gNB and / or the UE may receive the information indicating the target waveform for ISAC in the current waveform in step 706, and in step 708, switch to the target waveform.

[0067] These embodiments may apply to any of the following sensing modes: ( / ) gNB-gNB bistatic sensing mode 204, ( / / ) gNB-UE bistatic sensing mode 206, (Hi) UE monostatic sensing mode 208, ( / ) UE-gNB bistatic sensing mode 210, and (v) UE-UE bistatic sensing mode 212. For each sensing mode, the gNB determines and indicates the target waveform. For example:• For gNB-gNB bistatic sensing: a first gNB may send a DCI to a second gNB to indicate the target waveform, after which the two gNB may then perform gNB-gNB bistatic sensing.• For gNB-UE bistatic sensing: a first gNB may send a DCI to a second gNB and a UE to indicate the target waveform, after which the second gNB and the UE may then perform UE-gNB bistatic sensing.• For UE monostatic sensing: a gNB may send a DCI to a UE to indicate the target waveform, after which the UE may then perform UE monostatic sensing.• For UE-gNB bistatic sensing: a first gNB may send a DCI to a second gNB and a UE to indicate the target waveform, after which the second gNB and the UE may then perform UE-gNB bistatic sensing.• For UE-UE bistatic sensing: a gNB may send a DCI to two UEs to indicate the target waveform, after which the two UEs may then perform UE-UE bistatic sensing. Alternatively or additionally, a first UE may send a sidelink control information (SCI) to a second UE to indicate the target waveform, after which the two UEs may then perform UE-UE bistatic sensing.

[0068] Advantageously, switching to a target waveform that supports ISAC improves the sensing performance of ISAC for the gNB or UE.

[0069] In some embodiments, the information transmitted by the first communication apparatus (e.g., first gNB) may comprise a plurality of bits that indicate the target waveform for ISAC. As an example, N bits (where N > 1, N = \log2(number of waveforms')]) in DCI may be used to indicate the target waveform.

[0070] In various implementations, the total number of bits of information related to the target waveform transmitted in a gNB-to-anothergNB direction (e.g., from the first gNB to the second gNB in gNB-gNB bistatic sensing mode) may be greater than or equal to that in gNB-to-UE direction (e.g., from the first gNB to the UE in gNB-UE bistatic sensing mode), UE-to-another UE direction (e.g., from the first UE to the second UE in UE-UE bistatic sensing mode), or UE- to-gNB direction (e.g., from the first UE to the gNB in UE-gNB bistatic sensing mode). This configuration allows for more indications of advanced algorithm to be used in the gNB-to- another gNB direction (e.g., more layers, reference signal resources, spatial information), and / or higher sensing performance (e.g., sensing accuracy and sensing resolution).

[0071] Alternatively, the total number of bits transmitted in the gNB-to-another gNB direction may be less than that in the gNB-to-UE direction, UE-to-another UE direction, or UE-to-gNB direction. For example, in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, both the first gNB and the second gNB may be of the same type of gNB and from the same network vendor. As such, a 1 -bit indication may be used to enable all default configurations related to ISAC (e.g., including switching to the target waveform) of another gNB. On the other hand, in the gNB-to-UE direction, N bits (where N > 1) in DCI may still be required to indicate the target waveform.

[0072] In some implementations, the total number of bits transmitted in the gNB-to-UE direction may be greater than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, UE-to-another UEdirection, or UE-to-gNB direction. Alternatively, the total number of bits transmitted in the gNB- to-UE direction may be less than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, UE-to-another UE direction, or UE-to-gNB direction.

[0073] In some implementations, the total number of bits transmitted in the UE-to-another UE direction may be greater than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, gNB-to-UE direction, or UE-to-gNB direction. Alternatively, the total number of bits transmitted in the UE-to-another UE direction may be less than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, gNB-to-UE direction, or UE-to-gNB direction.

[0074] In some implementations, the total number of bits transmitted in the UE-to-gNB direction may be greater than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, gNB-to-UE direction, or UE-to-another UE direction. Alternatively, the total number of bits transmitted in the UE-to- gNB direction may be less than that in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, gNB-to-UE direction, or UE-to-another UE direction.

[0075] In one implementation shown in Figure 8, N bits 806 may include an existing 1-bit information field of current DWS 802 and a reserved (N - l)-bit field 804. This arrangement allows joint usage of the existing 1-bit information field of current DWS 802 and the reserved (N - l)-bit field 804. In this implementation, a Rel. 18 UE with DWS capability may read the existing 1-bit information field of current DWS 802 as legacy, while a Rel. 19 UE may read the full N = 2 bits, where "00" may indicate CP-OFDM, "01" may indicate DFT-s-OFDM, "10" may indicate another waveform (e.g., OTFS), and "11" may be reserved for other usage. Advantageously, this implementation limits specification impact, while ensuring compatibility with Rel. 18 UEs.

[0076] Alternatively, a combination of an existing 1-bit information field of current DWS and (N - 1) most significant bits (MSB) or least significant bits (LSB) in fields such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), time domain resource assignment (TDRA), transmit power control (TPC), channel state information (CSI) request, frequency domain resource assignment (FDRA), or transmit matrix precoding indicator (TPM I) in DCI may be used to indicate the target waveform. Different fields may be used to indicate the target waveform in different directions (e g., gNB-to-UE direction and UE-to-gNB direction). For example, MCS field may be used to indicate the target waveform in gNB-to-UE direction, and TPC field may be used to indicate the target waveform in UE-to-gNB direction. Advantageously, this allows for existing information field bits in the DCI to be repurposed to indicate the target waveform and does not require an additional reserved (N - l)-bit field for signalling of the target waveform indication.

[0077] In another implementation, the existing 1 -bit information field of current DWS may be extended to an M-bit field. In this implementation, the first gNB may indicate current DWS to a Rel. 18 UE with DWS capability by enabling the existing 1-bit field indication as legacy. Alternatively, for a Rel. 19 UE with ISAC capability, the first gNB may enable the / V-bit field to indicate the target waveform. Rel. 18 UEs without ISAC capability may ignore the JV-bit field indication as it is not recognised by them. Advantageously, this implementation provides additional flexibility in signalling.

[0078] In some embodiments, predefined rules may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.

[0079] In one implementation, a number of ( ) most significant (MSB) or least significant (LSB) bits in existing fields in the DCI may be repurposed to indicate the target waveform. Specifically, N MSB / LSB bits in fields like MCS, TDRA, TPC, CSI request, FDRA, or TPM I may be used to indicate the target waveform. As an example, in the gNB-to-another gNB direction, / V MSB / LSB bits in one or more of these fields may indicate the target waveform, while in the gNB-to-UE direction, N MSB / LSB bits in another one or more of the fields may indicate the target waveform. In one example, two MSB / LSB bits in fields like MCS, TDRA, TPC, CSI request, FDRA, or TPMI may be repurposed to indicate different waveforms, where "00" indicates CP-OFDM, "01" indicates DFT-s-OFDM, "10" indicates another waveform (e.g., OTFS), and "11" being reserved for other purposes. Advantageously, this implementation provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0080] In another implementation, a number (N) of MSB or LSB bits in two or more existing fields in the DCI may be repurposed to indicate two or more target waveforms. Specifically, N MSB / LSB bits in the two or more different fields like MCS, TDRA, TPC, CSI request, FDRA, or TPMI may indicate two or more target waveforms. As an example, two MSB / LSB bits in MCS may be repurposed to indicate DFT-s-OFDM waveform, and 2 MSB / LSB bits in TDRA may be repurposed to indicate OTFS waveform, where "00" indicates CP-OFDM, "01" indicates DFT-s-OFDM, "10" indicates another waveform (e.g., OTFS), and "11" being reserved for other purposes. Advantageously, this implementation provides waveform indication of two or more different target waveforms within one DCI to perform different purposes, such as sensing and communication simultaneously from the same second communication apparatus, without requiring additional signalling.

[0081] In another implementation, a specific demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence or pattern in PDCCH or PDSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform.Multiple predefined or configurable DM RS sequences or patterns, each indicating a specific waveform, may be used. Each DMRS sequence or pattern may be differentiated by a factor, such as different cyclic shifting values for different DMRS sequences or patterns. For example, a first DMRS sequence may indicate CP-OFDM, a second DMRS sequence may indicate DFT-s-OFDM, and a third DMRS sequence may indicate OTFS. Advantageously, this implementation also provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0082] In another implementation, cyclic or sequential waveform switching may be used. Specifically, the first gNB may switch through each waveform from a list of waveforms in a cyclic manner or a sequential manner in order to prompt the second UE or the gNB to switch to the target waveform. For example, in a gNB-UE bistatic sensing mode, a predefined sequence of three waveforms may be used, where the first waveform may be CP-OFDM, the second waveform may be DFT-s-OFDM, and the third waveform may be OTFS. If the first gNB is operating in the first waveform and the UE is operating in the second waveform, and the first gNB requests the UE to switch to the third waveform, the UE may not respond to the request if it cannot understand the request. However, when the first gNB switches to the second waveform and repeats the request, the UE can understand and may respond to the first gNB, enabling both the first gNB and the UE to switch to the third waveform for gNB-UE bistatic sensing. After completing the gNB-UE bistatic sensing, the first gNB and the UE may revert to their initial waveforms or remain in the third waveform. Advantageously, this implementation also provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0083] In another implementation, a dedicated resource (i.e., specific resource) from radio resources of PDCCH or PDSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform. This indication may be achieved by puncturing the radio resources of PDCCH or PDSCH according to a specific pattern. The specific pattern may be predefined in a technical specification or configured to the second gNB or the UE (e g., predetermined according to a regulator associated with the second gNB or the UE). Each waveform may correspond to a different dedicated resource and / or puncturing pattern, thereby allowing different patterns to indicate different waveforms. In this implementation, the second gNB or the UE may blindly detect the dedicated resource by attempting a specific pattern one or more times (e g., one time, two times, or three times) to determine the corresponding waveform. Advantageously, this implementation also provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0084] For instance, three patterns (e.g., a first pattern, a second pattern, and a third pattern) may be used to indicate three waveforms (e.g., CP-OFDM, DFT-s-OFDM, OTFS), respectively. In one example, the first gNB may puncture the radio resources of PDCCHaccording to the first pattern, resulting in a dedicated resource and remaining radio resources from the radio resources of PDCCH. The radio resources of PDCCH may be determined based on a predefined control resource set zero (CORESET 0) in a technical specification or a configuration of control resource set i (CORESET i, where 0 < i < 39). After puncturing, the first gNB may send a DCI over PDCCH using the remaining radio resources to the second gNB or the UE. Since the second gNB or the UE may not have prior information on the remaining radio resources that were used to send the DCI over PDCCH by the first gNB, the second gNB or the UE may blindly detect the DCI by attempting one of the three patterns (e.g., the third pattern). Upon successfully decoding the DCI, the second gNB or the UE may identify the corresponding pattern (e.g., the third pattern) and determine the corresponding waveform (e.g., OTFS).

[0085] In another example, the first gNB may puncture the radio resources of PDSCH according to the first pattern, resulting in a dedicated resource and remaining radio resources from the radio resources of PDSCH. Thereafter, the first gNB may send, over PDSCH, (i) first information to indicate one of the three waveforms based on the dedicated resource and (ii) second information (e.g., other data) based on the remaining radio resources. Similarly, the second gNB or the UE may blindly detect the first information and the second information sent over PDSCH by attempting one of the three patterns to determine the corresponding waveform.

[0086] In various embodiments, instead of using DCI to indicate the target waveform, a 2- stage sidelink control information (SCI) may be used. In some implementations, N bits may be included in the 2-stage SCI, wherein N bits may be transmitted by using the 1st stage on PSCCH or the 2nd stage on PSSCH or both stages on PSCCH and PSSCH. In an implementation using both stages to transmit N bits, 1 bit may be transmitted on PSCCH and (TV — 1) bits may be transmitted on PSSCH. In other implementations, a specific DMRS sequence or pattern in PSCCH and / or PSSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform.

[0087] In the embodiments described above, in some implementations, before the first gNB indicates the target waveform to the second gNB or the UE, the second gNB or the UE may first send a request for its preferred target waveform to the first gNB in its current waveform. The first gNB may then indicate the preferred target waveform to the second gNB or the UE, after which the second gNB or the UE switches to the preferred target waveform.

[0088] In various embodiments, the first gNB may use a reserved bit in DCI or 2-stage SCI to indicate the target waveform. For example, if "0" is indicated, the second gNB and / or the UEmay determine that ISAC is not enabled and thus does not switch to the target waveform for ISAC. If "1" is indicated, the second gNB and / or the UE may determine that ISAC is enabled and switch to the target waveform for ISAC. Alternatively, instead of using the reserved bit, 1 MSB or LSB in an existing information field in DCI or 2-stage SCI may be repurposed to indicate the target waveform.

[0089] In various embodiments, the DCI may be an existing DCI, a new DCI, or a new sensing control information. The new DCI or new sensing control information may be designed specifically for ISAC, and may include specific indicators for ISAC (e.g., sensing mode, beam index). The DCI for legacy communication and ISAC may be the same or different. For example, existing DCI formats for communication may use CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM, while a new DCI format for ISAC may use OTFS. The new DCI or new sensing control information may be transmitted via broadcast or unicast channels. Additionally, the total number of bits in DCI for legacy communication may be the same or different from DCI for ISAC.

[0090] In embodiments where waveform switching may be triggered by a UE, a first communication apparatus (e.g., a first UE) may determine a target waveform (e.g., a waveform that supports ISAC) for one or more second communication apparatuses (e.g., a second UE or a gNB) to perform ISAC. The first communication apparatus may then transmit information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses. Correspondingly, a second communication apparatus may receive the information related to the target waveform, switch to the target waveform, and then transmit a signal in the target waveform for sensing an object.

[0091] For example, a first UE may determine a target waveform for ISAC and indicate it to a second UE and / or a gNB in the current waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM). The second UE and / or the gNB may then switch to the target waveform based on one or a combination of the following options:(1) A plurality of bits (e.g., N bits, where N > 1) in PUCCH, PUSCH, PSCCH, or PSSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.(2) A predefined rule may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.

[0092] As shown in Figure 9A, a UE (e.g., a first UE) may first determine a target waveform for ISAC in step 902. Then, in step 904, the UE may indicate the target waveform to anotherUE (e.g., a second UE) and / or a gNB in a current waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM) based on one or a combination of the options above.

[0093] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 9B, the another UE and / or the gNB may receive the information indicating the target waveform for ISAC in the current waveform in step 906, and in step 908, switch to the target waveform.

[0094] These embodiments may apply to any of the following sensing modes: ( / ) UE-gNB bistatic sensing mode 210 and ( / / ) UE-UE bistatic sensing mode 212. For each sensing mode, the UE determines and indicates the target waveform.

[0095] Advantageously, switching to a target waveform that supports ISAC improves the sensing performance of ISAC for the gNB or UE, and enables ISAC to be used with mode-2 sidelink (SL) operation, which brings additional technical benefits for mode-2 SL operation.

[0096] In some embodiments, the information transmitted by the first communication apparatus (e.g., first UE) may comprise a plurality of bits that indicate the target waveform for ISAC. As an example, N bits (where N > 1, N = \log2(number of waveforms)]) in PUCCH, PUSCH, PSCCH, or PSSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform.

[0097] In various implementations, the total number of bits of information related to the target waveform transmitted in a UE-to-gNB direction (e g., from the first UE to the gNB in UE-gNB bistatic sensing mode) may be greater than or equal to that in a UE-to-UE direction (e.g., the first UE to the second UE in UE-UE bistatic sensing mode). This configuration enables for more indications of advanced algorithm to be used in the UE-to-gNB direction (e.g., more layers, reference signal resources, spatial information), and / or higher sensing performance (e.g., sensing accuracy and sensing resolution) may be provided. For example, the indication (e.g., N bits) may be multiplexed and carried by PUSCH in the current waveform. By decoding PUSCH, the gNB may switch to the target waveform.

[0098] In some embodiments, predefined rules may be used to indicate the target waveform for ISAC.

[0099] In one implementation, a specific DMRS sequence or pattern in PUCCH, PUSCH, PSCCH, or PSSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform. Multiple predefined or configurable DMRS sequences or patterns, each indicating a specific waveform, may be used. For example, a first DMRS sequence may indicate CP-OFDM, a second DMRS sequencemay indicate DFT-s-OFDM, and a third DMRS sequence 1000, as shown in Figure 10, may indicate OTFS. Advantageously, this implementation provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0100] In another implementation, a dedicated resource (i.e., specific resource) from radio resources of PUCCH, PUSCH, PSCCH, or PSSCH may be used to indicate the target waveform. This indication may be achieved by puncturing the radio resources of PUCCH, PUSCH, PSCCH, or PSSCH according to a specific pattern. The specific pattern may be predefined in a technical specification or configured to the second UE or the gNB (e.g., predetermined according to a regulator associated with the second UE or the gNB). Each waveform may correspond to a different dedicated resource and / or puncturing pattern, thereby allowing different patterns to indicate different waveforms. In examples shown in Figure 11 , three dedicated resources in PUSCH may be punctured according to a first pattern 1102 to indicate CP-OFDM, two dedicated resources in PUSCH may be punctured according to a second pattern 1104 to indicate DFT-s-OFDM, and one dedicated resource in PUSCH may be punctured according to a third pattern 1106 to indicate OTFS. In this implementation, the second UE or the gNB may blindly detect the dedicated resource by attempting a specific pattern one or more times (e.g., one time, two times, or three times) to determine the corresponding waveform. Advantageously, this implementation also provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0101] In yet another implementation, cyclic or sequential waveform switching may be used. Specifically, the first UE may switch through each waveform from a list of waveforms in a cyclic manner or a sequential manner in order to prompt the second UE or the gNB to switch to the target waveform. For example, in a UE-UE bistatic sensing mode, a predefined sequence of three waveforms may be used, where the first waveform may be CP-OFDM, the second waveform may be DFT-s-OFDM, and the third waveform may be OTFS. If the first UE is operating in the first waveform and the second UE is operating in the second waveform, and the first UE requests the second UE to switch to the third waveform, the second UE may not respond to the request if it cannot understand the request. However, when the first UE switches to the second waveform and repeats the request, the second UE can understand and may respond to the first UE, enabling both the first UE and the second UE to switch to the third waveform for UE-UE bistatic sensing. After completing the UE-UE bistatic sensing, the first UE and the second UE may revert to their initial waveforms or remain in the third waveform. Advantageously, this implementation also provides waveform indication without requiring additional signalling.

[0102] In the embodiments described above, in some implementations, before the first UE indicates the target waveform to the second UE or the gNB, the second UE or the gNB may first send a request for its preferred target waveform to the first UE in its current waveform. The first UE may then indicate the preferred target waveform to the second UE or the gNB, after which the second UE or the gNB switches to the preferred target waveform.

[0103] In various embodiments, the first UE may use 1 bit in UCI on PUCCH or PUSCH to indicate the target waveform. For example, if "0" is indicated, the second UE or the gNB may determine that ISAC is not enabled, and thus does not switch to the target waveform for ISAC. If "1" is indicated, the second UE or the gNB may determine that ISAC is enabled, and switch to the target waveform for ISAC.

[0104] In various embodiments, the UCI or PUCCH may be an existing UCI, a new UCI, or a new sensing control information. The new UCI or new sensing control information may be designed specifically for ISAC, and it may include specific indicators for ISAC. The UCI for legacy communication and ISAC may be the same or different. The new UCI or new sensing control information may be transmitted via broadcast or unicast channels. Additionally, the total number of bits in UCI for legacy communication may be the same or different from UCI for ISAC.

[0105] In various embodiments, the target waveform may be indicated by one or a combination of control information (e.g., DCI), MAC CE, RRC, and higher layer parameter from core network (e.g., access and mobility management function (AMF), location management function (LMF)), or application layer (e.g., mobile or software application). For example, a list of potential waveforms may be configured using RRC, after which a target waveform from the list of potential waveforms may be indicated or activated using MAC CE or DCI.

[0106] In various embodiments, N bits may be used to indicate a set of two target waveforms that may be used at a gNB or UE. For example, a first target waveform may be used for sensing, while a second target waveform may be used for communication. These two waveforms may be used in different directions or in different radio resources. For instance, assuming an antenna array at a first gNB may be divided into two parts, N = 2 bits may be used as follows: "00" may indicate a set of CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM, "01" may indicate a set of CP-OFDM and OTFS), "10" may indicate a set of DFT-s-OFDM and OTFS, and "11" may be reserved for other usage. For the first part of the antenna array, the first gNB may switch to the first target waveform to support sensing functionality of UAV in the sky, while forthe second part of the antenna array, the first gNB may switch to the second target waveform to support coverage enhancement (CovEnh) of communication purpose on the ground.

[0107] In various embodiments, a first gNB may indicate the target waveform to a second gNB via wired communication. This allows the second gNB to switch to the target waveform, enabling ISAC between the first gNB and the second gNB in gNB-gNB bistatic sensing mode.

[0108] In various embodiments, a first gNB may indicate the target waveform to a second gNB via wired communication. The second gNB may then relay the target waveform to a UE. This allows the UE to switch to the target waveform, enabling ISAC between the first gNB and the UE in gNB-UE bistatic sensing mode.

[0109] In various embodiments, a UE may indicate the target waveform to a first gNB via wireless communication. The first gNB may then relay the target waveform to a second gNB via wired communication, effectively acting as an intermediate node. This allows the second gNB to switch to the target waveform, enabling ISAC between the UE and the second gNB in UE-gNB bistatic sensing mode.

[0110] In various embodiments, a first UE may indicate the target waveform to a first gNB. The first gNB may then relay the target waveform to a second UE. This allows the second UE to switch to the target waveform, enabling ISAC between the first UE and the second UE in UE-UE bistatic sensing mode.

[0111] It is appreciated that similar procedures may be applied in a 1-transmitter-and-multiple- receivers sensing mode, also referred to as multi-static sensing mode, instead of bistatic sensing mode. For example, in embodiments where waveform switching is triggered by a gNB, the gNB may determine a target waveform for ISAC and indicate it to a group of another gNBs and / or a group of UEs in a current waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM). The group of another gNBs and / or the group of UEs may then switch to the target waveform, enabling gNB- multiple UEs sensing mode. In embodiments where waveform switching is triggered by a UE, the UE may determine a target waveform for ISAC and indicate it to a group of gNBs and / or a group of another UEs in the current waveform. The group of gNBs and / or the group of another UEs may then switch to the target waveform, enabling UE-multiple UEs sensing mode.

[0112] In the following paragraphs, certain exemplifying embodiments are explained with reference to terms related to 5G core network and the present disclosure, namely:RRC connection setup and reconfiguration procedures

[0113] Interactions between a UE, gNB, and AMF (an 5G core (5GC) entity) in the context of a transition of the UE from RRCJDLE to RRC_CONNECTED for the NAS part are described (see 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0).

[0114] RRC is a higher layer signalling (protocol) used for UE and gNB configuration. In particular, this transition involves that the AMF prepares the UE context data (including e.g. PDU session context, the Security Key, UE Radio Capability and UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB with the INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST Then, the gNB activates the AS security with the UE, which is performed by the gNB transmitting to the UE a SecurityModeCommand message and by the UE responding to the gNB with the SecurityModeComplete message. Afterwards, the gNB performs the reconfiguration to setup the Signalling Radio Bearer 2, SRB2, and Data Radio Bearer(s), DRB(s) by means of transmitting to the UE the RRCReconfiguration message and, in response, receiving by the gNB the RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE. For a signalling-only connection, the steps relating to the RRCReconfiguration are skipped since SRB2 and DRBs are not setup. Finally, the gNB informs the AMF that the setup procedure is completed with the INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE.

[0115] In the present disclosure, thus, an entity (for example Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), etc.) of a 5th Generation Core (5GC) is provided that comprises control circuitry which, in operation, establishes a Next Generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB, and a transmitter which, in operation, transmits an initial context setup message, via the NG connection, to the gNodeB to cause a signalling radio bearer setup between the gNodeB and a user equipment (UE). In particular, the gNodeB transmits a Radio Resource Control, RRC, signalling containing a resource allocation configuration information element to the UE via the signalling radio bearer. The UE then performs an uplink transmission or a downlink reception based on the resource allocation configuration.QoS control

[0116] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require guaranteed flow bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS Flows). At NAS level, the QoS flow is thus the finestgranularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. A QoS flow is identified within a PDU session by a QoS flow ID (QFI) carried in an encapsulation header over NG-U interface.

[0117] For each UE, 5GC establishes one or more PDU Sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearers (DRB) together with the PDU Session, and additional DRB(s) for QoS flow(s) of that PDU session can be subsequently configured (it is up to NG-RAN when to do so). The NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS level packet filters in the UE and in the 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS Flows, whereas AS-level mapping rules in the UE and in the NG- RAN associate UL and DL QoS Flows with DRBs.Open- RAN

[0118] The base station described in each exemplary embodiment (for example, a 5G NR base station called gNB) may be formed of three functional modules: Centralised Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU), and Radio Unit (RU).

[0119] CU may also be referred as, for example, a centralised node, an aggregated node, a centralised station, an aggregated station, or a central unit. DU may also be referred as, for example, O-DU (O-RAN Distributed Unit), a distributed node, a distributed station, or a distributed unit. RU may also be referred as, for example, O-RU (O-RAN Radio Unit), a radio apparatus, a radio node, a radio station, an antenna unit, or a radio unit.

[0120] Several split options are defined for the functional split configuration (or functional split point) between CU, DU, and RU. The term “functional split point” may also be referred to as "split", "option", or "split option".

[0121] Examples of the “split option” include the following split options 1 to 8. The functionality of the base station described in each exemplary embodiment may be split into functions as CU, DU, and RU by one of the following split options 1 to 8. For example, each of CU, DU, and RU may be subjected to functional splitting or functional splitting only between CU and DU or only between DU and RU is possible.(1) Split Option 1 : between RRC (radio resource control) and PDCP(2) Split Option 2: between PDCP and RLC (High-RLC)(3) Split Option 3: between High-RLC and Low-RLC(4) Split Option 4: between RLC (Low-RLC) and MAC (High-MAC)(5) Split Option 5: between High-MAC and Low-MAC(6) Split Option 6: between MAC (Low-MAC) and PHY (High-PHY)(7) Split Option 7: between High-PHY and Low-PHY(8) Split Option 8: between PHY (Low-PHY) and RF

[0122] The functional split point between CU and O-DU may be Split Option 2. The link between CU and O-DU is referred to as midhaul and the F1 interface is defined by the 3GPP. Further, the link between O-DU and O-RU is referred to as fronthaul and its functional split point may be Split Option 7-2x adopted as the O-RAN fronthaul specifications.

[0123] Figure 12 illustrates an example in which the base station functionality of the gNB is subjected to functional splitting into CU, O-DU, O-RU by Split Option 2 and Split Option 7-2x.

[0124] CU may include, for example, an RRC (radio resource control) function, an SDAP (service data adaptation protocol) function, and a PDCP (packet data convergence protocol) function.

[0125] O-DU may include, for example, an RLC (radio link control) function, a MAC function, and a higher physical layer (HIGH-PHY) function. Further, the HIGH-PHY function may include an encoding function, a scrambling function, a modulation function, a layer mapping function, a precoding function, and an RE (resource element) mapping function for downlink (DL) transmission. The HIGH-PHY function may also include a decoding function, a descrambling function, a demodulation function, a layer demapping function, and an RE (resource element) demapping function for uplink (UL) reception.

[0126] O-RU may include, for example, a LOW-PHY function and an RF function. Further, the LOW-PHY function may include a beamforming function, IFFT (Inverse First Fourier Transform) + CP (Cyclic Prefix) addition functions, and a D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion function for downlink transmission. Further, the LOW-PHY function may include an A / D (Analog to Digital) conversion function, CP removal + FFT (First Fourier Transform) functions, and a beamforming function for uplink reception.

[0127] Note that, in a case where O-DU does not include the precoding function, O-RU may include the precoding function.

[0128] O-RU may include an LBT (listen before Talk)-related function.

[0129] eCPRI (Evolved Common Public Radio Interface) is defined as a communication scheme between O-DU and O-RU in Split Option 7-2x.

[0130] In Split Option 7-2x, a sampling sequence of the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of an OFDM signal in the frequency domain as well as information used for beamforming in the antenna, a time synchronisation signal, and the like are transmitted and received by eCPRI.

[0131] Information transmitted by signals (PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, MAC CE, RRC, and the like) described in each exemplary embodiment may be transmitted by using the User Plane (U-Plan) or Control Plane (C-Plane) of eCPRI between O-DU and O-RU.

[0132] In a case where a function described in each exemplary embodiment is executed in O-RU by function splitting, O-DU may control O-RU by transmitting information for controlling the function by means of a control signal (for example, eCPRI) between O-DU and O-RU.

[0133] In a case where a function described in each exemplary embodiment is executed by function splitting in O-DU, O-RU may receive a result of the execution of the function in O-DU by means of a control signal (for example, eCPRI) and may control O-RU based on the received result.

[0134] CU, O-DU, and O-RU may be deployed in physically different apparatuses, the respective functions of which are connected by optical fibers or the like, or some or all of the functions may be deployed in a physically identical apparatus.

[0135] CU and O-DU may be logical entities implemented as software operating on a server, such as a cloud, as a virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN). Further, some or all of the functions of CU and O-DU may be provided as services of a Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) function.

[0136] The transceiver may not be a radio transceiver and may be, for example, a network transceiver, an optical transceiver, or the like. The radio resource allocated by O-DU may be a resource for radio communication between O-RU and the UE.SBFD

[0137] Operations on uplink, downlink, and sidelink symbols in one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to symbols (for example, SBFD (Subband nonoverlapping full duplex) symbols, Subband full duplex) on which an SBFD operation or control is performed. For SBFD symbols, the frequency domain (or frequency resource or frequency bandwidth) is divided into a plurality of frequency domains (also referred to as, for example, sub-bands, RB sets, sub-bandwidths, or sub-BWPs (Bandwidth parts)). The terminal performs transmission and reception in a direction (for example, a downlink or uplink direction) in units of sub-bands that are the divided domains. For SBFD symbols, the terminal may perform transmission / reception in one direction of uplink and downlink directions, and may not perform transmission / reception in the other direction. The base station, on the other hand, may be capable of performing both uplink and downlink transmissions / receptions simultaneously. SBFD symbols may have a fewer frequency domain usable for downlink compared to symbols for which only downlink transmission / reception is performed. Further, SBFD symbols may have a fewer frequency domain usable for uplink compared to symbol for which only uplink transmission / reception is performed.

[0138] Further, for SBFD symbols, the terminal may perform uplink and downlink transmissions / receptions simultaneously. At this time, the frequency domain transmitted by the terminal and the frequency domain received by the terminal may not be adjacent and a frequency interval (also referred to as a frequency gap) may be provided therebetween.

[0139] Further, sidelink transmission / reception may also be included as a transmission / reception direction in units of sub-bands which are the divided domains.XDD: Cross Division Duplex

[0140] Operations on uplink, downlink, and sidelink symbols in one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to symbols (for example, Full duplex symbols) on which a Full duplex operation or control is performed. For Full duplex symbols, both the terminal and the base station are capable of performing uplink and downlink transmissions / receptions simultaneously. For Full duplex symbols, the terminal and the base station may operate to perform transmission / reception simultaneously in available frequency domains (or frequency resources or frequency bandwidths) or may operate to perform transmission / reception simultaneously in one or some of frequency domains (that is, may operate to perform transmission or reception in the other frequency domains). At this time, the frequency domain transmitted by the base station or the terminal and the frequency domain received by the base station or the terminal may not be adjacent and a frequency interval (alsoreferred to as a frequency gap) may be provided therebetween. Further, for example, for the purpose of reduction in interference or the like, one of the terminal and the base station may operate to perform transmission / reception simultaneously (that is, the other may operate to perform transmission or reception).

[0141] Further, the Full duplex operation may be applied to an operation in which the terminal is capable of performing sidelink transmission / reception simultaneously. Further, the Full duplex operation may be applied to an operation in which the terminal is capable of performing sidelink transmission / reception and uplink or downlink transmission / reception simultaneously.Control Signals

[0142] In the present disclosure, the downlink control signal (information) related to the present disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through PDCCH of the physical layer or may be a signal (information) transmitted through a MAC Control Element (CE) of the higher layer or the RRC. The downlink control signal may be a pre-defined signal (information).

[0143] The uplink control signal (information) related to the present disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through PUCCH of the physical layer or may be a signal (information) transmitted through a MAC CE of the higher layer or the RRC. Further, the uplink control signal may be a pre-defined signal (information). The uplink control signal may be replaced with uplink control information (UCI), the 1st stage sidelink control information (SCI) or the 2nd stage SCI.Base Station

[0144] In the present disclosure, the base station may be a Transmission Reception Point (TRP), a clusterhead, an access point, a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a Base Station (BS), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a base unit or a gateway, for example. Further, in sidelink communication, a terminal may be adopted instead of a base station. The base station may be a relay apparatus that relays communication between a higher node and a terminal. The base station may be a roadside unit as well.Uplink / Downlink / Sidelink

[0145] The present disclosure may be applied to any of uplink, downlink and sidelink.

[0146] The present disclosure may be applied to, for example, uplink channels, such as PUSCH, PUCCH, and PRACH, downlink channels, such as PDSCH, PDCCH, and PBCH, and side link channels, such as Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), and Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0147] PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH are examples of a downlink control channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink data channel, and an uplink control channel, respectively. PSCCH and PSSCH are examples of a sidelink control channel and a sidelink data channel, respectively. PBCH and PSBCH are examples of broadcast channels, respectively, and PRACH is an example of a random access channel.Data Channels / Control Channels

[0148] The present disclosure may be applied to any of data channels and control channels. The channels in the present disclosure may be replaced with data channels including PDSCH, PUSCH and PSSCH and / or control channels including PDCCH, PUCCH, PBCH, PSCCH, and PSBCH.Reference Signals

[0149] In the present disclosure, the reference signals are signals known to both a base station and a mobile station and each reference signal may be referred to as a Reference Signal (RS) or sometimes a pilot signal. The reference signal may be any of a DMRS, a Channel State Information - Reference Signal (CSI-RS), a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), a Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), a Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS), and a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS).Time Intervals

[0150] In the present disclosure, time resource units are not limited to one or a combination of slots and symbols, and may be time resource units, such as frames, superframes, subframes, slots, time slots, subslots, minislots, or time resource units, such as symbols, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols, or other time resource units. The number of symbols included in one slot is not limited to any number of symbols exemplified in the embodiment(s) described above, and may be other numbers of symbols.Frequency Bands

[0151] The present disclosure may be applied to any of a licensed band and an unlicensed band.Communication

[0152] The present disclosure may be applied to any of communication between a base station and a terminal (Uu-link communication), communication between a terminal and a terminal (Sidelink communication), Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication, and communication between an Ambient loT Reader and an Ambient loT Device. The channels in the present disclosure may be replaced with PSCCH, PSSCH, Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH), PSBCH, PRDCH (Physical Reader-to-Device Channel), PDRCH (Physical Device-to-Reader Channel), PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PBCH. For example, control information of the present disclosure may be replaced with any of DCI, UCI, SCI (Sidelink Control Information), R2D Control Information and D2R Control Information.

[0153] In addition, the present disclosure may be applied to any of a terrestrial network or a network other than a terrestrial network (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network) using a satellite or a High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS). In addition, the present disclosure may be applied to a network having a large cell size, and a terrestrial network with a large delay compared with a symbol length or a slot length, such as an ultra-wideband transmission network.Antenna Ports

[0154] An antenna port refers to a logical antenna (antenna group) formed of one or more physical antenna(s). That is, the antenna port does not necessarily refer to one physical antenna and sometimes refers to an array antenna formed of multiple antennas or the like. For example, it is not defined how many physical antennas form the antenna port, and instead, the antenna port is defined as the minimum unit through which a terminal is allowed to transmit a reference signal. The antenna port may also be defined as the minimum unit for multiplication of a precoding vector weighting.Ambient loT

[0155] The terminal and the base station in one exemplary embodiment of the preset disclosure may be replaced with any of an Ambient loT Device or an Ambient loT Reader. TheAmbient loT Device may be a wireless communication device having a backscattering function or having a transmission / reception bandwidth of several resource blocks or less. Further, the Ambient loT Reader may be a wireless communication device having a communication function with an Ambient loT Device. The Ambient loT Device may also be referred to as an Ambient loT terminal, an loT terminal, an LPWA terminal, or a Tag.

[0156] The present disclosure can be realised by software, hardware, or software in cooperation with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each embodiment described above can be partly or entirely realised by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment may be controlled partly or entirely by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be individually formed as chips, or one chip may be formed so as to include a part or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may include a data input and output coupled thereto. The LSI here may be referred to as an IC, a system on a chip (SoC), a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI depending on a difference in the degree of integration. However, the technique of implementing an integrated circuit is not limited to the LSI and may be realised by using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a special-purpose processor. In addition, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the manufacture of the LSI or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and the settings of circuit cells disposed inside the LSI can be reconfigured may be used. The present disclosure can be realised as digital processing or analogue processing. If future integrated circuit technology replaces LSIs as a result of the advancement of semiconductor technology or other derivative technology, the functional blocks could be integrated using the future integrated circuit technology. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0157] The present disclosure can be realised by any kind of apparatus, device or system having a function of communication, which is referred to as a communication apparatus.

[0158] The communication apparatus may comprise a transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The transceiver may comprise and / or function as a receiver and a transmitter. The transceiver, as the transmitter and receiver, may include an RF (radio frequency) module including amplifiers, RF modulators / demodulators and the like, and one or more antennas.

[0159] Some non-limiting examples of such a communication apparatus include a phone (e.g., cellular (cell) phone, smart phone), a tablet, a personal computer (PC) (e.g., laptop, desktop, netbook), a camera (e.g., digital still / video camera), a digital player (digital audio / video player), a wearable device (e.g., wearable camera, smart watch, tracking device), a game console, a digital book reader, a telehealth / telemedicine (remote health and medicine)device, and a vehicle providing communication functionality (e.g., automotive, airplane, ship), and various combinations thereof.

[0160] The communication apparatus is not limited to be portable or movable, and may also include any kind of apparatus, device or system being non-portable or stationary, such as a smart home device (e.g., an appliance, lighting, smart meter, control panel), a vending machine, and any other "things" in a network of an "Internet of Things (loT)".

[0161] The communication may include exchanging data through, for example, a cellular system, a wireless LAN system, a satellite system, etc., and various combinations thereof.

[0162] The communication apparatus may comprise a device such as a controller or a sensor which is coupled to a communication device performing a function of communication described in the present disclosure. For example, the communication apparatus may comprise a controller or a sensor that generates control signals or data signals which are used by a communication device performing a communication function of the communication apparatus.

[0163] The communication apparatus also may include an infrastructure facility, such as a base station, an access point, and any other apparatus, device or system that communicates with or controls apparatuses such as those in the above non-limiting examples.

[0164] It will be understood that while some properties of the various embodiments have been described with reference to a device, corresponding properties also apply to the methods of various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0165] In the following paragraphs, certain exemplifying embodiments are explained with reference to terms related to 5G core network and the present disclosure regarding communication apparatuses and communication methods for waveform switching for ISAC, namely:Example 1 . A first communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.Example 2. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , wherein the information comprises a plurality of bits indicating the target waveform.Example 3. The first communication apparatus of example 1, wherein a number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more base stations is greater than or equal to a number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more user equipment.Example 4. The first communication apparatus of example 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of bits comprises an information field for indicating dynamic waveform switching (DWS), and the information field for indicating DWS is 1 bit.Example s. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , wherein the information is indicated by one or a combination of control information, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), radio resource control (RRC), and higher layer parameter.Example 6. The first communication apparatus of any one of examples 2 to 4, wherein: the circuitry determines another target waveform for the one or more second communication apparatuses to perform ISAC; the target waveform is for sensing one or more objects and the another target waveform is for communicating with another communication apparatus; and the plurality of bits further indicates the another target waveform.Example 7. The first communication apparatus of example 6, wherein the target waveform and the another target waveform are used in different directions or in different radio resources.Example s. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , wherein the information comprises one or more information fields, and a most significant bit (MSB) or a least significant bit (LSB) in the one or more information fields indicates the target waveform.Example s. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , wherein the information is indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a demodulation reference signal (DM RS) sequence or pattern of a control channel and / or a data channel, the DM RS sequence or pattern being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses, and wherein the one or more secondcommunication apparatuses determine the target waveform based on the DM RS sequence or pattern of the control channel or the data channel.Example 10. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , wherein: the transmitter transmits the information to the one or more second communication apparatuses by switching to each waveform from a list of waveforms in a cyclic manner or a sequential manner until the first communication apparatus receives a response from the one or more second communication apparatuses, the list of waveforms being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses.Example 11. The first communication apparatus of example 1, wherein the information is indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a specific resource of a control channel and / or a data channel punctured according to a pattern, the pattern being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses, and wherein the one or more second communication apparatuses determine the target waveform based on the specific resource.Example 12. The first communication apparatus of example 11 , wherein different patterns indicate different waveforms.Example 13. The first communication apparatus of example 1 , further comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives a request from the one or more second communication apparatuses to switch to the target waveform; and wherein the circuitry determines the target waveform in response to receiving the request.Example 14. The first communication apparatus of any one of examples 1 to 13, wherein the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment, and wherein the one or more second communication apparatuses comprise one or more base stations or one or more user equipment.Example 15. A communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) and switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.Example 16. The communication apparatus of example 15, wherein the communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment.Example 17. A second communication apparatus comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (I SAC); circuitry, which in operation, switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.Example 18. A communication method implemented by a first communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and transmitting information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.Example 19. A communication method implemented by a communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.Example 20. A communication method implemented by a second communication apparatus comprising: receiving information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

[0166] While exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the present embodiments, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should further be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, operation, or configuration ofthis disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing exemplary embodiments, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of steps and method of operation described in the exemplary embodiments and modules and structures of devices described in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the subject matter as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A first communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

2. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises a plurality of bits indicating the target waveform.

3. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more base stations is greater than or equal to a number of bits of the information when the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment and the one or more second communication apparatuses are one or more user equipment.

4. The first communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of bits comprises an information field for indicating dynamic waveform switching (DWS), and the information field for indicating DWS is 1 bit.

5. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information is indicated by one or a combination of control information, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), radio resource control (RRC), and higher layer parameter.

6. The first communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the circuitry determines another target waveform for the one or more second communication apparatuses to perform ISAC; the target waveform is for sensing one or more objects and the another target waveform is for communicating with another communication apparatus; and the plurality of bits further indicates the another target waveform.

7. The first communication apparatus of claim 6, wherein the target waveform and the another target waveform are used in different directions or in different radio resources.

8. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises one or more information fields, and a most significant bit (MSB) or a least significant bit (LSB) in the one or more information fields indicates the target waveform.

9. The first communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information is indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a demodulation reference signal (DM RS) sequence or pattern of a control channel and / or a data channel, the DM RS sequence or pattern being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses, and wherein the one or more second communication apparatuses determine the target waveform based on the DM RS sequence or pattern of the control channel or the data channel.

10. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the transmitter transmits the information to the one or more second communication apparatuses by switching to each waveform from a list of waveforms in a cyclic manner or a sequential manner until the first communication apparatus receives a response from the one or more second communication apparatuses, the list of waveforms being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

11. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information is indicated to the one or more second communication apparatuses by a specific resource of a control channel and / or a data channel punctured according to a pattern, the pattern being predefined in a technical specification or configured to the one or more second communication apparatuses, and wherein the one or more second communication apparatuses determine the target waveform based on the specific resource.

12. The first communication apparatus of claim 11 , wherein different patterns indicate different waveforms.

13. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives a request from the one or more second communication apparatuses to switch to the target waveform; and wherein the circuitry determines the target waveform in response to receiving the request.

14. The first communication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment, and wherein the one or more secondcommunication apparatuses comprise one or more base stations or one or more user equipment.

15. A communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, determines a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) and switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication apparatus is a base station or a user equipment.

17. A second communication apparatus comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); circuitry, which in operation, switches to the target waveform; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

18. A communication method implemented by a first communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for one or more second communication apparatuses to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); and transmitting information related to the target waveform to the one or more second communication apparatuses.

19. A communication method implemented by a communication apparatus comprising: determining a target waveform for the communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

20. A communication method implemented by a second communication apparatus comprising:receiving information related to a target waveform for the second communication apparatus to perform integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); switching to the target waveform; and transmitting a signal in the target waveform for sensing one or more objects.

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